Apparatus for dispensing beverages



Feb. 3,1959 J. G. JESSEL 2,871,892

' APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING BEVERAGES Filed May 1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Fig.1

Jon/A5 6. Jesse/ Irv 4'17 752K,

Feb. 3, 1959 J. G. JESSEL APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING BEVERAGES 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1956 United States Patent APPARATUSFOR-DISPENSING BEVERAGES Jonas Geolfrey Jessel', London, EnglandApplication May 1, 1956, Serial No. 581,977 Claims priority, applicationGreat BritainMay 4, 1955 2 Claims c1. 141 100 This invention relates toapparatus for dispensing beverages such as tea or coffee and has for its-main object to provide an arrangement for enabling measured quantitiesof such beveragesto be served at high speed and a predeterminedstrength.

The invention accordingly consists in an apparatus for the purposereferred to in the preceding paragraph comprising a measuring chamberfor the beverage to be dispensed communicating by means of separatevalves with a reservoir or other supply means, and a delivery device,said valves being controlled by means which is adapted to be actuated bythe placing of a receptacle under said delivery device so as to bringabout the opening of one valve and the closing of the other valve andthereby efiect the discharge of the contents of said measuring chamberthrough said delivery device.

If desired, two or more measuring chambers may be provided having inletvalves communicating with reservoirs containing different liquids andoutlet valves communicating with one or more delivery devices, thecontrol means being so arranged as to actuate the valves of all themeasuring chambers simultaneously and thereby elfect the discharge ofthe contents of all the measuring chambers.

According to the preferred arrangement, the valves controlling eachmeasuring chamber are attached to slidably mounted valve rods which areoperatively connected with the opposite ends of a pivotally mountedT-shaped lever which is adapted to be actuated by the placing of areceptacle under said delivery device, the swinging movement of saidT-shaped lever being adapted to effect the movement of said valve rodsin opposite directions so as to close the valve communicating with thereservoir or other supply means and open the valve communicating withthe delivery device.

If desired, coin controlled means may be provided for preventing theactuation of the valve control means until a coin or coins have beeninserted.

The invention will be more completely understood from the followingdetailed description which is given in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which Figures 1 and 2 are front and sectional side viewsrespectively of the working parts of a dispensing apparatus constructedin accordance with the invention. 7

Referring now to these drawings, I provide my dispensing apparatus withtwo reservoirs 1, 1 which may contain brewed tea and milk respectively,and I provide the base of each of these reservoirs with a measuringchamber 3, 3 which communicates with its respective reservoir through aninlet valve 5, 5' and is provided with an outlet valve 6, 6 by means ofwhich it communicates with a elivery pipe or nozzle 7, 7 disposed atsome convenient point in the apparatus. The two valves 6, 6 in themeasuring chambers are controlled by slidably mounted valve rods 8, 8and 9, 9 which are arranged vertically so that the rods for each chamberare disposed one inside the other, the rod for each outlet valve passingthrough the inlet valve and through the rod for such valve, which latterrod takes the form of a sleeve. The inlet valve rods 8, 8 for the twochambers are connected at their upper ends to a common cross-bar 10 andthe outlet valve rods 9, 9 for the chambers are also connected to asimilar cross-bar 11 disposed slightly above the other cross-bar, andthe two cross-bars are connected by two pivoted links 12, 12 to theopposite ends of the cross-arm of a pivotally mounted T-shaped lever 13so that when the latter is rocked about its pivotal point 14, the twocross-bars 10, 11 together with the inlet and outlet valve rods move inopposite directions. The T-shaped lever 13 is mounted in such a way thatwhen it is in its normal position with the inlet valves 5, 5 open andthe outlet valves 6, 6 shut, the stem of the lever is inclined to thevertical with the foot i the lever pointing forwards, and the lever isso positioned with respect to the delivery pipes or nozzles 7, 7 thatwhen a'receptacle is pushed under these nozzles it automatically actsupon the foot 16 of the T- shaped lever 13 so'as to swing the stem ofthe lever 13 into the vertical position and actuate the valve rods 8, 8and 9, 9 in such a way as to close the inlet valves 5, 5 and open theoutlet. valves 6, 6 thus allowing the contents of the two measuringchambers 3, 3 to discharge into the receptacle 17 placed under thedelivery nozzles. The cross rods 10, 11 pass through slots 18; 19 in thevalve rods, these slots being so designed as to ensure that the inletvalves 5, 5 close before. the outlet valves 6, 6 open. The T-shaped"lever l3 or someother part of the mechanism is suitably spring orgravity loaded, for example by a weight 15, so that when the receptacle17 is removed, the reverse process takes place, the outlet valves 6, 6being closed and the inlet valves 5, 5 being reopened thus rechargingthe two measuring chambers 3, 3 with a fresh supply of liquid from thetwo reservoirs 1, 1 in readiness for the next dispensing operation. Theslots 18,

19 in the valve rods now ensure that the outlet valves 6, 6 close beforethe inlet valves 5, 5 open.

It will thus be seen that by means of this arrangement a measuredquantity of beverage is automatically withdrawn from the apparatus bythe insertion and removal of the receptacle and that by maintaining asupply of brewed tea orother liquid in one reservoir and either hot orcold milk in the other reservoir, a beverage of substantially constantpredetermined strength is obtained from the discharge nozzles.

In order that the cost of obtaining measured quantities of the beveragemay be prepaid, a coin operated mechanism may be arranged in conjunctionwith the T- shaped lever 13 and so constructed as to prevent such leverfrom being operated until a coin or coins has been inserted in asuitably arranged slot.

This mechanism conveniently takes the form of a rotatable member 20which is normally disposed in the path of movement of the T-shaped lever13 and is keyed to the shaft 21 of a centrally pivoted lever 22 in whicha coin receptacle 23 is provided, the arrangement being such that a coinon being inserted in a suitably arranged slot drops into the receptacle23 and swings the lever 22 about its pivotal axis and thus moves therotatable member 2d out of line of the path of movement of the T-shapedmember 13 thus allowing the latter to swing. This T-shaped lever 13 inmoving into its operative position acts upon the member 20 so as toeffect a further movement of the lever 22 so that the latter swings intoa further position against the action of a spring 24 and allows the cointofall into a suitable cash box 25. The lever 22 now relieved of theweight of the coin or coins returns to its original position when theT-shaped lever 13 swings back on the withdrawal of the receptacle 1?.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for dispensing beverages comprising two measuring chambershaving inlet valves communicating with reservoirs for the liquids to bedispensed and outlet valves communicating with delivery devices fordischarging the measured quantities of liquids, said valves beingattached to slidably mounted valve rods which are operatively connectedto the opposite ends of a pivotally mounted lever member which isoperable by the placing of a receptacle under the delivery device, theswinging movement of said lever member being adapted to effect themovement of said valve rods in opposite directions so as to close thevalves communicating with the reservoirs and open the valvescommunicating with the delivery devices and thus eflect the discharge ofthe contents of said measuring chambers, said lever member comprising aT-shaped lever, the stem of which serves as an actuating member and thecross bar of which is connected by two pivoted links to a pair of crossshafts slidably arranged in slots in said valve rods and so positionedas to prevent the cross shaft controlling the outlet valve from reachingthe end of its slot until the cross shaft controlling the inlet valve ismoved sufficiently to allow said inlet valve to close whereby saidoutlet valves are prevented from opening until said inlet valves havebeen closed.

2. Apparatus for dispensing beverages comprising two measuring chambershaving inlet valves communicating with reservoirs for the liquids to bedispensed and outlet valves communicating with delivery devices fordischarging the measured quantities of liquids, said valves beingattached to slidably mounted valve rods which are operatively connectedto the opposite ends of a pivotally mounted lever member which isoperable by the placing of a receptacle under the delivery device, theswinging movement of said lever member being adapted to effect themovement of said valve rods in opposite directions so as to close thevalves communicating with the reservoirs and open the valvescommunicating with the delivery devices and thus effect the discharge ofthe contents of said measuring chambers, said lever member comprising aT-shaped lever, the stem of which serves as an actuating member and thecross bar of which is connected by two pivoted links to a pair of crossshafts which comprise linkages between the corresponding valve rods ofthe two chambers, said cross shafts being slidably arranged in slots insaid valve rods and so positioned as to prevent the cross shaftcontrolling the outlet valve from reaching the end of its slot until thecross shaft controlling the inlet valve is moved sufficiently to allowsaid inlet valve to close whereby said outlet valves are prevented fromopening until said inlet valves have been closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS791,755 Dorman June 6, 1905 1,489,840 Lyons Apr. 8, 1924 2,165,398Mazzanobile July 11, 1939 2,201,545 Mazzanobile May 21, 1940 2,201,808Berwick et al. May 21, 1940 2,379,532 Lloyd July 3, 1945

